I averaged 30.3 mpg after a 650 miles ski trip in the Prius...

Apples to Oranges. Without looking at all of the factors your numbers really mean nothing. I'm sorry but it's not that simple.

 

Agreed.


I already posted some figures of 3 different vehicles doing the same trip a couple posts back.

 

That makes sense that the Prius is not the best car for roof racks. How cold was it when you drive to Mammoth? I noticed when it got down to zero this winter my mileage went down to 40 MPG and 35 when I went into the mountains with just me and a friend in it.

 

:deadhorse:

 

7,2 l / 100 km
But it's cargo capacity why I take Renault instead of Prius to skiing holidays. And I wouldn't drive 130 kph on uphill hwy sections with Prius.

 

Here's another perspective: the best average mpg I've gotten in my now 6 week old Prius is 39.9 and I have yet to get it back to that number, even with inflated tires. And that's just driving myself around town, no other humans and no cargo.

So getting 30mpg hauling 4 adults, ski equipment, a roof rack up and down mountains doesn't sound too bad *to me.*

It's all in perspective. If you were averaging lower mpg on a daily basis then your ski trip mpgs wouldn't feel so low.

 

Why not, I take my Prius on uphill winding mountain roads at 80mph... It handles just fine. 7% grades and it goes strong.

 

weight, modifications, cold temperatures, elevation would kill your mileage. 30 mpg is good considering all of the factors involved in your trip.

 

Yea, I'm not surprised. At that weight and moving uphill you'd be straining the engine to its maximum abilities. Going in between flooring your Prius at 16mpg and then coasting at ?mpg, you ended up with 30mpg total. And like you said, the extra aerodynamic drag also did not help your engine. As far as the other members talking about "normal" cars. Well, you wouldn't see much of a difference. Normal cars have more horsepower (the same horsepower most Prius owners believe to be unnecessary), but it can handle the extra weight and aerodynamic drag without a significant percent loss of fuel economy. Not to mention, a percentage decrease in fuel economy looks much larger for a Prius that normally gets 45 compared to another car that normally achieves 27.

 

We went up a local ski mountain (Grouse) over the weekend. With a fairly recent fill-up, and reset of trip A, arrived at the mountain base at 4.3~ Liters/100km. By the time we found a parking spot at the top, it was at 6.5. The horror...

Anyway, the battery got royally charged going back down, and I think we were just getting under 5.0 at the base of the hill. After a freeway drive to home, got it down further, to 4.6, so not too bad.

But, hills are tough on mileage.

 

I recently took a trip to big bear in my pri. Not a full load but with 3 people, all our gear, as well as throwing on my 15's at 32psi all round, I got ~46mpg and that was hauling butt there (75-90mph) and hauling through the turns. I have to say, the prius handles way better than I expected haha

 

Hey Guys,

After reading over this thread I need some advice.

I have a 2007 prius and I'm looking to get a snowboard roof rack for this upcoming winter. We'll be driving about 400 miles at around 70mph most of the drive. We'll do this trip about three times this winter. Is it worth my money to still purchase a roof rack given the comments stated previously or would we be better off just piling everything inside and letting the aerodynamics gain the mpgs?

If you recommend to still purchase a rack, which brands and models would be the best fit for my prius? Are there racks that are more efficient for priuses?

Love to hear some success stories. Pictures too please.

- James

 

400 miles, at 70mph, up and down mountain passes probably if you plan on going to a mountain resort. A loaded Prius can make any incline no problem. But a loaded Prius with a roof rack, probably less successful. Your 70mph beginning might end up in the high 50's at the top of I-70 by Eisenhower pass or something.

Personally, if you have the room to put them inside, put them inside. Not only does it create less drag which is money in your pocket, but your skies and boards have 0 chance of flying off and being lost or worse causing an accident. I am all for putting everything you can inside your vehicle's shell. This goes for trucks, vans, whatever. I was nearly killed by a cable installation van who's side strapped ladder decided to leave him at 80mph on the city interstate. By pure luck I was able to swerve left as the ladder came off and hit the pavement to the right of me then catapulted up in the air and ruined a few other people's days. I've seen skis slide out of their holders or even a poorly tied down roof rack busted on the side of the road with 2 pairs of a skis and a snowboard still locked in.

I don't know about your gear, but I would rather have $1K skis and $500 boots inside the vehicle rather than strapped to the top worrying for a 400 mile drive if you tightened that strap tight enough... or not. And my skis are 180cm long, and they fit lying down in the hatch with the small rear seat folded down. So you can still get 3 people and 1 midget inside with full gear all inside. If you plan on having more than 3 adults, then you are pretty much forced to go roof rack.

 

You might consider getting a tow receiver, and light weight trailer. The trailer follows in the wake with a minimum of additional aerodynamic drag. You might find it useful to head to the beach in the summer or move oversized loads.

The other alternative is a platform in the receiver but you should consider a stiffer, rear suspension. I don't know what options exist but it keeps the headlights from looking like brights to on coming traffic.

Bob Wilson

ps. The 1.8L Prius is a better tow option: Towing? | PriusChat